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Mental Health Disorders Increase in the EU but not Enough Sufferers Recieve Psychotherapy Help

More Psychotherapy is Needed in the EU

A study performed by The European Collage of Neuropsychopharmacology has revealed that 164 million people in the EU have had a mental disorder. This equates to 38% of the population and yet only a third of these have any contact with a health professional, and only 8-10% have seen a specialist.

At the top of the list of psychological and neurological problems that were investigated are anxiety disorders with 14% suffering from one or more. Depression and insomnia were also high up.

Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, one of the researchers, expands upon the figurative findings by describing a gender difference within the experience of anxiety. Whereas men become more alcohol dependent, women suffer more from depression.

The optimum age for women to be hit with depression seems to be between 16 – 42 and is thought to be linked with the increased social pressures they are feeling. Marriage, children, holding down a job and a social life all contribute to the doubling of depressive episodes amongst women since the 70’s. The increase in cases of divorce also contributes to women feeling they are not coping well or caring sufficiently for their children. Wittchen also added that marriage is bad for women but good for men.

The diagnosis time for the onset of mental health disorders is also becoming earlier. The first diagnosis of a disorder is now in a person’s teens, 90% at 18 years, whereas it used to be in a persons 20’s. Encouragingly, Wittchen claims that most disorders diagnosed early can be treated well, mostly with psychotherapy or counselling, sometimes with the help of medication. However, he also says that psychological disorders are woefully underfunded in the EU and that people are suffering as a result.

Psychotherapy and counselling is an important step in taking control of feelings of depression and anxiety by exploring the roots of these issues. The professional psychotherapists at The Cavendish Psychotherapy Practice in London can help with this exploration and work with you to help spot patterns of behaviour and thinking that may perpetuate low feelings and hamper healthy mental development.